The present invention relates to sytems and devices for removing unwanted and harmful moisture from wet and/or water damaged structures.
Unwanted water, introduced by flooding, precipitation or otherwise, causes millions, if not billions, of dollars of damage to structures every year. Generally, the amount of damage can be reduced, minimized, or even eliminated if the water can be removed from the structure shortly after its undesired entry into the structure. For example, if the water can be extracted promptly in some manner from the structure generally, and then from the cavities within walls, floors and other structural elements, then rot, mold, rust and other destructive effects of the unwanted water can be minimized or avoided altogether.
Some early attempts to solve this problem involved simply passive drying, such as draining the visible water, and opening windows to let the hidden moisture evaporate. While this had the advantage of being relatively non-intrusive and nondestructive, it also generally took so long that it did not avert rot, mold, rust and the other destructive effects of the lingering moisture. Also, it left the structure relatively unusable for an undesirably long period of time.
Partly in response to those disadvantages, more active approaches were used, such as forcing air, heated or otherwise, through the afflicted structure so as to expedite the evaporation process. While this resulted in some improvement in many cases, generally, the results were still not satisfactory.
Other early attempts involved removal of some or all of certain structural elements to facilitate evaporation from enclosed areas. For example, in some cases floorboards or wallboards were removed to enable the moisture trapped in the wall or floor cavities to evaporate more effectively and sooner. The obvious disadvantage of such approaches is that they were so destructive as to require significant repair and/or replacement of the structure after the drying process, resulting in greater cost and often the loss of use of the structure for a longer period of time than would be the case without the destruction.
To overcome some of the disadvantages of the prior systems, some improved systems were developed. For example, in my prior patent application (application Ser. No. 08/890,141, filed Jul. 9, 1997 now pending,) I developed certain features of a system that dried structures more effectively and less destructively than previous systems. In that system, a blower forced air, either positively or negatively, to dry the afflicted structure. Specifically, in positive pressure mode, the blower would blow dry air through a hose, and into one or more manifolds, and then from the manifolds into a network of smaller tubes, and then into an injector that penetrated through a small hole in the structure. Conversely, when in negative pressure mode, the system would suck the damp air from the structure, out through the hole via the injector, and then through the tubes, the manifold, the hose, and ultimately out back through the blower.
While this system was a significant advance over prior systems, significant problems remained. Some shortcomings of my prior system, and other prior systems, included:
(1) Excessively destructive intrusion. Specifically, the prior system required that a plurality of relatively large sized holes be created in the structure. For example, in a high density material such as wood, a hole of {fraction (7/16)}xe2x80x3 diameter would be required. Holes this large require more effort in repair than would be required with smaller holes. While some prior systems have attempted to utilize smaller holes, the required air injectors were so small that they lacked convenient and effective means for preventing accidental withdrawal without damage to the structure. For example, when an injector was inserted into a wet sheetrock ceiling, the injector would have a tendency to fall out, especially in positive pressure mode. To date, previous attempts to prevent this problem have either not been effective, or have had undesirable side-effects, such as larger holes to accommodate fletching for friction to prevent withdrawal, angled penetration tending to cause damage upon removal, and threads for screwing in the injectors tending to cause a suboptimal amount of labor in the field.
(2) Clogging. In my prior system, the injectors included a small hole near the distal end of the injector tube. The purpose of this extra hole was in part to create extra airflow. However, the hole in the distal end was too close to the end of the injectory and thereby resulted in frequent clogging with wet drywall or other debris or matter within the wall or floor cavity. Because of the small surface area available, it could not be large enough as a single set of holes.
(3) Inefficiency and Expense in Mobilization and Demobilization. Perhaps the biggest problem with prior systems was the relatively large amount of labor required to assemble, reconfigure and disassemble them in the field. Since labor costs for restoration services are relatively high, even modest improvements in field efficiency can be extremely valuable.
(4) Interference with Facilities and Operations. Another disadvantage of my prior system, and all other drying systems of which I am aware, is the signficant intrusion and interference with the structure being dried. That is, as a practical matter, while prior systems are being used to dry a structure, it is nearly impossible for the usual occupants of the premises being dried to conduct business therein. For example, in an office building, the office tenants must generally not return until the job is completed due to the extensive tangle of blowers, hoses and tubes radiating in all directions throughout the afflicted structure. In most prior systems also, the blowers are too loud to enable work in the structure until the job is completed.
(5) Inefficient air flow. Prior systems moved air inefficiently. Specifically, for example, in my prior system while in positive mode, dry air would be forced several feet down a trunk hose, and then into a manifold. From the manifold, some of the air would be dispersed into a tube which retraced back over the same distance to a hole in the structure close to the blower. This inefficiency was an inherent feature of the general configuration of our prior system, in that a main trunk line hose would transmit the air to a manifold, typically in the center of a room or wet area, and the manifold would then disperse the air through tubes all about the room. Thus, all other things being equal, higher pressure would be required to overcome the friction inherent in the system. Or, conversely, given a maximum amount of pressure sustainable by the blower in the system, the friction in the inefficient distribution of the prior systems would leave that much less effective air movement for actual drying at the point of the wet surface.
(6) Waste of Material. For much the same reason, the prior systems waste a considerable amount of material. Specifically, much more hosing and tubing is required than is with the present invention. This not only creates more manufacturing cost and labor in the field, but also tends to clutter the afflicted structure to the point of presenting a hazardous condition for occupants, such as by increased risk of tripping.
Each of the foregoing difficulties with prior systems applied to drying any part of any structure in general, whether walls, ceilings, cabinets, or floors, or any cavities therein. However, particular difficulties are presented with hardwood floors. Hardwood floors, when damaged by excess moisture, can be very difficult to dry. Most homeowners, for example, are completely discouraged to see their floors commence to swell and cup, especially since such damage can occur after the floors only had water on them for as few as 20 minutes. In such cases, with current systems, the owner""s alternatives are not good.
One option is total replacement If the area damaged is a large percentage of the entire hardwood area, and the cupping heavy, the option of complete replacement may currently be most appropriate. The full replacement is usually easy for the contractor to bid, with wet material removal and replacement fairly straightforward. However, unless the contractor is careful and accustomed to repairing water damaged structures, hardwoods are sometimes re-installed over damp subfloors. Extreme care must be taken to equalize the structure and the new hardwood prior to installation. In addition, total replacement is generally very costly. Another disadvantage is the total time the average home or office is unusable or substantially unusable. The average drying time even with equipment is 1-2 weeks just to dry the subfloor. This delay dramatically increases the total cost of the loss by reason of additional living expenses or loss of use.
A second option is partial replacement. Again however, the substrate must be dried to equilibrium, and the total repair time is close to that of complete replacement. A further disadvantage is that sometimes the wood cannot be matched to the owner""s satisfaction.
Many restoration contractors attempt to dry hardwoods by one or a combination of the following: blowing air across the surface, dehumidifying (or tenting and pumping in dehumidified air), or blowing dry air from the wall area. The first option of blowing air across the surface does almost no good. The finishes and sealers prevent the moisture from being released easily. Dehumidifying accompanied by tenting seems good on the face but seldom works adequately and often causes the wood to check and crack.
Thus, it is an object of the present invention to also provide an improved and yet simple and inexpensive drying system particularly effective at drying hardwood and other similar floors.
The present invention provides an improved system for removing excess moisture from a structure. In accordance with the invention, several of the problems with prior systems are solved, and additional improvements are added. In addition, the present invention provides an improved system for removing excess moisture from hardwood and similar floors.
In accordance with the invention, several improvements are made to prior air distribution and collection systems. As with prior systems, a blower is provided to force air through a main trunk line hose. The main hose may terminate, or may return to the blower in a complete circuit. Also, as with prior systems, the invention may be operated in either positive or negative pressure mode (that is, it may either blow dry air into the structure, or suck wet air out of the structure through the air distribution network).
The manner of distribution of the air however, is completely new and improved in several respects. First, much smaller penetration holes can be used with the improved injectors. The new injectors are smaller than in previous systems, and yet have means for preventing accidental withdrawal. Specifically, each injector has locking tabs which can be depressed by the fingers of the user to reduce the effective diameter of the injector to facilitate insertion of the injector into the small hole. Once the injector is inserted however, the tabs can be released, and they will spring back into place, creating an effective diameter that is wider than the hole into which the injector was inserted, thereby preventing accidental withdrawal of the injector. This feature is particularly helpful in positive pressure mode, when the mere force of the air emanating from the injector will tend to dislodge the injector from the hole. It is also particularly helpful when drying ceilings, where the force of gravity tends to pull the injector out of the hole. This locking tab mechanism can also be easily removed without any damage to even fragile structures simply by re-pressing the tabs, and pulling.
The locking tab mechanism is a significant improvement over the prior systems, some of which relied either on fletchings or threads and friction (which required a larger injector diameter and hence a larger penetration hole and tended to result in damage around the edge of the hole in any case), and others of which lacked the friction fletchings and the larger hole, and were of small diameter, but which were not effective in preventing accidental withdrawal. Also, the locking tab mechanism makes it extremely easy to quickly and install and remove the injectors with zero damage to the structure other than the very small hole. The locking tab mechanism is not only much easier to use than the threaded or fletched injectors, but causes less damage. In the preferred embodiment a pair of opposing locking tabs are utilized, but either one or any number of tabs may be used in accordance with the invention.
Another aspect of the invention is the improved means for preventing clogging of the injector. My prior system provided an injector with a hole at the distal end, and another hole near the distal end to create Bernoulli effect. While this arrangement had advantages over prior systems, it also had practical disadvantages. Specifically, it had a tendency to clog, especially when drying sheetrock enclosed cavitities, or other structural cavities with debris therein. It accordance with the invention, the small hole near the distal end is replaced with one or more elongated slots resulting in greater alternate air source. Thus, if the hole at the end of the injector becomes plugged or clogged, the air may still be drawn in through the slot. Similarly, the slots are themselves less likely to become plugged than the small hole of prior systems. In prior systems, the hole was designed primarily for creating Bernoulli effect, and not for air removal as such, and for that reason was quite small. In the present invention, the slots serve a different purpose, and result in a more effective injector in practice, especially in negative pressure mode. In addition, even the small gaps surrounding the locking tab mechanism also serve to enable further air movement if the slots or end-hole become plugged or clogged.
The new injectors also provide a double barb near the proximal end. This double barb arrangement enables the injector to be used as a connector instead of an injector when desired. For example, in many uses, 2 individual air outlets need to be joined together to stop air escaping if not needed in the drying process. Instead of taking both injectors out and substituting a xe2x85x9cxc3x97xe2x85x9c connector, one injector can be removed and the second injector left in place and used as a connector of the unused lines. If operator desires to extend the length of the tubing, the injector may be left in place and another tube with injector attached, thereby lengthening the tube to get air where needed. Thus, the system is more versatile and convenient in use, because the injectors are configured to serve two functions, and a separate part (i.e., a connector) is not required.
A third fundamental aspect of the invention is the means for improved efficiency in mobilization and demobilization. Specifically, the configuration of the new system is considerably less cluttered, takes less time to assemble, deploy, reconfigure and disassemble.
Prior systems involved a trunk line hose feeding a manifold, which in turn distributed the air through a plurality of long tubes (see FIG. 1). The system of the invention instead distributes the tubes along the trunk line hose (see FIG. 2). As a result, considerably less tubing is required, and no manifold is required at all, resulting in lower manufacturing costs and a less expensive overall system for the user.
In addition, in a preferred embodiment of the new system, the tubes are preassembled, that is already attached in the trunk hose. Thus, the user need not even affix any of the tubes to a manifold. This feature, plus the generally less cluttered configuration as shown in FIG. 2 relative to FIG. 1, results in a much easier system to use in the field.
In addition, the new configuration results in less interference with the afflicted structure. The shorter tubes being affixed along the trunk enable the system to be deployed in most applications around the perimeter of the afflicted room, leaving most of the room available for use.
The new configuration also distributes the air more efficiently in the sense of requiring less energy (typically electrical) and less tubing material per unit of air moved. By delivering air at the point of need, there is an elimination of tubing, eliminating need for air to travel through 3-4 unnecessary feet of tubing for each injector, faster setup, less trip hazard, less labor to carry in and setup. Thus, in summary, presently the drying art practiced has manifolds which are placed at infrequent intervals disposed along a trunkline. The disadvantages are in the area of messiness, excessive amounts of tubing required, trip hazard, increased friction due to extra lengths of tubing required and high labor costs to setup. The present invention solves each of these problems.
The new configuration could not be effected simply by multiplying the number of manifolds of the prior systems, in part because the labor and material costs would be prohibitive. Instead, a fundamentally new approach was required. Specifically, the distribution of the air more efficiently to the afflicted areas, without doubling back, required a fundamentally different configuration. The configuration of the present invention provided that fundamental difference. Specifically, it involved tubing along the main trunk hose. However, this configuration had to be accomplished in a manner that would retain the integrity of the main trunk hose, and was inexpensive and easy to use.
In accordance with the invention, the new system provides an active hoseline, by providing self-piercing scooped hose inserts. The scooped hose inserts penetrate the main hoseline at regular intervals (typically every 8 inches, for reasons explained below). The inserts are self-piercing, such that they can be inserted into the main hose simply by pushing them in by hand. This provides maximum versatility to the user in the field. The inserts further provide an air scoop, configured and oriented so as to catch the air passing through the hoseline in positive pressure mode, and efficiently inserting the air into the hoseline in negative pressure mode. The inserts further provide a barbed nozzle end for easily affixing the tubes.
Thus, in general, the self-piercing, self-sealing scooped hose inserts accomplish the function of distributing appropriate amounts of air from and to the main hoseline to the wet structure more directly, less expensively, and more efficiently than the manifold configuration of the prior systems. Less labor, less material, and less energy are required. In fact, the need for manifolds is completely eliminated. (Although a manifold can still be utilized when desired).
The insert is further unique in that it is capable of piercing a hose and self sealing with flanges on each side of the hose wall. On the proximal end there is a barbed opening for coupling a tube to it and the outer flange is curved to accommodate the outside surface of the hose. This results in the flange being flat at all points eliminating rocking which could potentially pull insert out of hose. There is one or more pins on the hose side of the outer flange which fit between the ribs on the outside surface of the hose. This eliminates rotation of the insert keeping the insert secure. The inside flange is introduced through the hose wall and seals on the inside. An adhesivesealant may be used to seal any small cracks between the shaft that penetrates the hose and the hose, but in most applications such sealant may not be required. The shaft is hollow and conducts air from the inside of the hose to the outside or the reverse if used negatively. The bottom of the insert is pointed with gradually tapering sides to allow the insert to be pushed through the hose. In this cone area, there is a scoop which points toward air source or toward the vacuum source if used negatively. This scoop is designed to re-direct air while minimizing friction. The scoop is connected to the hollow shaft and communicates with the distal end of the insert.
The present invention also provides an improved system for drying floors, and especially hardwood floors. In accordance with the invention, the system contains one or more plates for use with a grid. The plates are designed to go on top of the grid after the floor is prepared. The system, in a preferred embodiment are best used in areas of approximately 50 square feet.
In accordance with the invention, each wet area may be taped off separately and a separate plate used in each area. The system may be installed to avoid the potential floor traffic and minimize trip hazards. For example, it is usually best to put the plates on the sides of a hall next to a wall. In a bathroom, you would not set up a plate in front of the wash basin or commode, but probably along a wall out of the way. An effort should be made to cover the bulk of the wet area. In many cases however, the effect of the vacuum will extend beyond the reach of the area covered with grid and plastic sheeting. These areas might be the area beneath the stove and refrigerator. Once the vacuum is turned on, there is a pulling effect that will exert force beyond the grid.
In accordance with the invention, the wet floor surface is prepared. Generally, this involves some sanding or other treatment to remove or otherwise penetrate varnish or other floor sealant that will prevent or retard the air and water movement. This step is not necessary however, and depends on conditions.
Next, the grid is laid on the floor. The grid is comprised of at least two planes, each plane comprised of generally parallel rows of strands of material, but each plane""s rows being not parallel relative the rows of the adjacent plane. Each plane is also parallel to the plane of the floor to be dried. Thus, while a preferred embodiment will be described below, the essential feature of the grid is that it is configured such that air and water may pass between the two planes. Thus, for example, a grid that is uniplanar and is comprised of perpendicular strands which create cells, would generally not be appropriate as it would not permit the movement of air and water from the floor below the grid to the top of the grid.
Next, atop the grid is placed a special vacuum plate. On the top of the plate will be barbs that will penetrate the plastic sheeting or other membrane. The perimeter is then sealed with convenient sealing means, such as with 2xe2x80x3 wide painter""s tape. This type of tape is preferred as it will not harm the wood finish. If sanding is to be done, lesser expensive masking tape may be used.
The next step will be to set up a blower, such as an Injectidry HP 60 or 90, set on the suction side (negative pressure mode). Next, the tubes are connected from the standard blower to the barbs on the vacuum plates. When the system is thus set up, the blower is activated, and the covered floor area will begin drying. In appearance, the system will resemble a xe2x80x9cshrink wrappedxe2x80x9d floor section. Importantly, because of the configuration of the grid and the vacuum plate, the impermeable membrane such as visqueen, although taped or otherwise sealed around its perimeter, and compressed by negative pressure against the grid, will not prevent the migration of air or water from the floor, up through the two planes of the grid, into the vacuum plate and thence out through the tubes to the blower. While this system is effective at drying floors, it is also useful in removing excess moisture entrapped in fiberglass or wooden boat hulls.